


Our Colors Become One

by fuRinjuru



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Multi, color soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:15:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28662315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuRinjuru/pseuds/fuRinjuru
Summary: Three girls take a tentative step to the future
Relationships: Hoshizora Rin/Koizumi Hanayo/Nishikino Maki, Implied Principal Minami/Nishikino Maki's Mother
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Our Colors Become One

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks to AJ for proofreading this fic!
> 
> This is surprisingly my first time writing a fic that focuses on Rin, even though the first chapter is a Hanayo focus through and through. Even so, I hope all of the characterization came across nicely!

Hanayo found out she has two soulmates when she’s eight years old.

She’s at home, watching idol lives on TV with Rin, while her grandmother is sitting on a chair to the side, watching over them.

Hanayo is completely mesmerized by the sight of her favorite group dancing and singing on stage, a sight that makes her grandmother chuckle. “You like idols very much, don’t you Hanayo-chan?”

“Yes!” Hanayo nods eagerly, tearing her eyes off the screen to face her grandmother. “They’re so amazing! They shine so brightly on stage and spread joy to all of their fans, and they get to wear such cute outfits and sing great songs, I love them so much!”

“I see.” Her grandmother smiles. “Would you like to be one? An idol?”

And just like that, the floodgates have opened. “Kayo-chin would be a great idol!” Rin immediately slides into the conversation, grasping Hanayo’s hand in her own.

“M-me?” This isn’t the first time Hanayo’s heard that question—Rin asked her the same thing at school, a few months back, and her answer is still the same. “N-no, I don’t think I could be an idol.”

“Awww… but why not?” Rin asks, her beautiful yellow eyes staring right at her. It makes it hard for Hanayo to focus. 

“B-because it wouldn’t suit me.”

By the expression she’s making, Rin is dissatisfied with her answer, and so is Hanayo’s grandmother.

“You should follow your dreams while you’re still young, Hanayo-chan.” Her grandmother advises. “Regrets are for when you start growing gray hair and you’re old, like me.” 

“I… but still…” Looking around, Hanayo’s eyes are drawn to Rin, who’s still staring at her. Without thinking, she blurts out, “R-Rin-chan also has gray hair, doesn’t she? Does that also mean she’s old?”

“Eh? Does it?” Rin puts her hand up to her head, pinching a lock of gray hair between her fingers. “I don’t  _ feel  _ old, though.”

“Of course Rin-chan isn’t old,” her grandmother laughs, “and she doesn’t have any gray hair, either.”

“S-she does, though?” Hanayo asks. “Isn’t it gray?”

“It’s orange, isn’t it?” Her grandmother asks in return.

“Like the fruit?”

Her grandmother nods. “Like the fruit. It’s the same color as the fruit, isn’t it?”

“Oh, it is.” Although that brings another question to her mind. “W-what’s the difference between orange and gray?”

Her grandmother opens her mouth to say something but quickly closes it, giving Rin a curious look. “Rin-chan, do you also see your hair as being gray?”

“I think? I don’t know what’s the difference between orange and gray either though, but...” Hanayo watches Rin look around the room, before pointing at the living room door. “It’s the same color as that, isn’t it?”

“That’s gray.” Realizing something, her grandmother gives both of them a smile. “It seems that neither of you can see orange, or perhaps some shade of it. Yurika isn’t colorblind, so it can’t be genetic either, and even if she was it doesn’t explain Rin-chan.”

Hanayo shifts nervously. “S-so how come  _ we  _ can’t see orange?” Her grandmother gives her a look, and without saying it, Hanayo realizes she already knows the answer.

“A soulmate, possibly.”

“B-but that can’t be! Rin-chan is my soulmate.”

“Right! Kayo-chin is definitely my soulmate.” Rin affirms.

“You two are soulmates, yes, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have another soulmate,” Her grandmother says in a casual tone as if she’s describing the weather. “I know a few people who have four soulmates, in fact.”

It’s good that Hanayo wasn’t listening, else she faints from the idea of having  _ four _ soulmates. Two soulmates were still a lot to take in, however. “I-I have two soulmates…” Hanayo mumbles to herself, shaking slightly. “S-someone save me.”

“Ahh, it’s okay, Kayo-chin!” She feels a weight against her side as Rin pulls her into a tight hug. “I’m sure our other soulmate will be really nice!”

In hindsight, maybe Hanayo was secretly glad that the conversation topic turned to soulmates, because it meant she didn’t have to think about her wish to be an idol.

* * *

Eight years later, Hanayo is now in high school. Going to a new school, wearing a new uniform. All of it should make her feel nervous on some level but it… really doesn’t. To her, it doesn’t feel like much has changed, if at all. She’s still going to walk to school with Rin, the distance to school from their houses is roughly the same as when they were in middle school, and so they’ll leave at the same time, too. Everything changes, yet nothing has.

If there is one difference, it’s that she’s grown hyper-aware of the colors of the objects around her. She’s able to discern slight differences between gray and orange when they’re directly compared; the former is a bit duller, and the latter is a bit brighter, possibly because she can see yellow thanks to Rin. When she asked her grandmother, she said that being aware of the colors around you is a sign that you will meet your soulmate soon. The thought of that makes Hanayo more nervous than any first day of school.

“Hanayo, Rin is here!” Her mother shouts from downstairs. Hanayo grabs her bag from her chair and rushes down the stairs. Her eyes land on Rin, lounging on the living room couch as if she lives there. Which, to be fair, both of them are treated like family at each other’s places, so that’s kind of true.

Rin perks up at the sight of Hanayo, immediately sitting up straight. “Kayo-chin! You look great this morning!”

Hanayo feels her face heating up at the compliment, struggling to stutter out a response. “Y-you say that every morning.” It doesn’t make it any less embarrassing, though.

“Yeah, but you look especially cute today!” Rin insists. “You look great in the Otonokizaka uniform!”

“Rin is right, just accept the compliment.” Hanayo hears her mother laughing, walking into the living room from the kitchen. “Breakfast is ready, go and eat up; you’ll need a lot of energy for your first day of school.” She then turns her attention to Rin, asking her as well, “do you want some breakfast too, Rin?”

“I’m good! Thanks for the offer, Auntie Koizumi!” Rin replies from the couch. “I’m fine waiting here. Oh, but take your time, Kayo-chin! I think we still have time.”

“That you do,” her mother confirms, checking the clock hanging in the living room. “I’ll talk with Rin while you do.”

Hanayo nods, heading to the dining table where a plate of rice and curry has been prepared. As she digs in, she overhears snippets of Rin and her mother’s conversation. Random questions about Rin’s studies and her past few track meets, how she feels starting high school, and other questions of the sort.

Hanayo cleans off her plate, dropping it in the sink before returning to the living room. Their conversation seems to be winding down right at the same time, with her mother standing from her seat as Hanayo returns. “Had a good breakfast?” Hanayo nods at the question. “Good. Do you have your lunch?”

“Check.”

“Books?”

“Check.”

“Extra rice balls?”

“I-I’ve got everything!” Hanayo mumbles.

“Just making sure.” Smiling, her mother pulls her into a tight hug. “Have a good day at school, okay? Say hi to the headmistress if you meet her.”

“Oh, I want to join in!” That’s the only warning Hanayo gets before she’s sandwiched between the two people she loves most in the world.

The moment is fleeting, though, as her mother points out that they’re cutting it  _ really close _ on how much time they have before the opening ceremony, and after a quick goodbye Hanayo and Rin are speed-walking to school.

Spring makes Hanayo feel at ease—Rin likes to joke that it’s because of the ‘Hana’ in her name; Rin on the other hand can’t stand the coldness of winter, even though it’s both her namesake and her birthday season.

Whether or not her name has anything to do with it, the sight of  _ sakura  _ trees in full bloom, lining the way from her house to their new school is picturesque. 

If this was a story, Hanayo imagines she and Rin would meet their second soulmate here, with the  _ sakura  _ petals fluttering around them. Perhaps it made her some kind of passionate romantic, but she would wear that title with pride.

Though of course, there’s no way that would happen. But that didn’t make the trip to school any less romantic. Holding hands with Rin all the way to Otonokizaka, taking every step leading to their new life together.

Finally, their new school is in view. Hanayo has seen Otonokizaka plenty of times before, and while it’s not on the same level as UTX, the traditional school has its own charm. 

Their first stop is the announcement board. Checking which class they’re in is a regular way to start the school year. Most of the time they get to be in the same class, but occasionally due to bad luck, they’re stuck in different classes. 

This time is made much simpler, with the existence of only a single class, but Hanayo won’t complain about being in the same class with Rin, even if the lack of new students is concerning.

The entrance ceremony went by smoothly, even if Hanayo’s shoulder became an impromptu pillow for Rin to sleep on. By the time all of the orientation events are done, it’s already time for the lunch break. 

“The cafeteria isn’t too far away from here,” Hanayo says, looking at the map they got from the student council. “Let’s go, Rin-chan.”

“Actually, I’m gonna head to the bathroom first.” Rin points in the opposite direction of the hallway. “Could you save a spot for us, Kayo-chin?”

“Oh, of course. I’ll see you there!” Hanayo waves at Rin as she heads to the cafeteria, walking a bit faster than she normally would. It seems like a lot of students are also heading there, and she wants to make sure she gets a good spot for her and Rin.

Luckily, she’s able to beat the rush, securing a table near the door so Rin can easily see her when she arrives. She pulls out her lunch box and puts her bag on the other seat, before beginning to eat. She starts with the onigiri she packed, biting into them with gusto. Before she knows it, the first onigiri is gone, and she makes quick work of the second one, too.

It’s after she finishes her third one that Hanayo wonders what’s taking Rin so long. Is there a problem? She almost stands up to leave to find Rin when she spots a familiar tuff of gray hair walking into the cafeteria…

...dragging another person behind her. 

“Rin!” Hanayo exclaims, aghast. Rin turns to her at the noise, and without realizing the distress she’s in, waves at her. The other person is clearly struggling against Rin’s hold, but she’s not making much progress.

“Kayo-chin, look at this!” Rin motions towards the girl she’s  _ dragging _ by the arm. Hanayo has no idea what she’s doing.

“Rin-chan, what are you  _ doing _ ? L-let go of her, please.”

Hearing Hanayo’s plea, Rin finally releases her hold, unfortunately without warning the other girl. Her pulling against Rin’s hold has so much momentum that it causes her to fall to the floor, drawing a giggle from Rin who immediately shuts up as she shoots a glare.

As she stands up, smoothing out her blazer, Hanayo takes note of this new person Rin dragged. She’s taller than both her and Rin, and according to her ribbon, she’s also a first-year.

The new girl folds her arms over her chest, fixing Rin with a hard glare. “I’m going to report you to the headmistress, you brute!” She then turns to Hanayo, asking, “are you with her?”

“Y-yes, I’m sorry.” She gulps, staring nervously at the girl’s purple eyes. Somehow, despite being the same age as her, the intimidating aura she has is tremendous.

“Next time, try to keep your friend on a leash. Hmph!” Without saying anything else, she turns around and walks straight out of the cafeteria door. A few people watch the incident before returning to their lunches. 

Hanayo breathes a sigh of relief, turning to the girl next to her. “R-Rin-chan, what were you doing?”

“Kayo-chin! Didn’t you realize who she was?” Rin seems excited, her eyes visibly sparkling.

Hanayo gives her a confused look, shaking her head. “A-am I supposed to?”

“Well, maybe not who she is, but look!” Rin clasps Hanayo’s hand in her own and puts it on her head, letting it brush against her hair.

Her… hair?

Hanayo gasps. “Your hair changed color!”

“Right! And that’s not the only thing!” Rin pulls out her phone from her pocket, showing the back of it to Hanayo. The case, which Hanayo remembers being gray, has also changed color to a vivid orange. “I can see the colors! That was our soulmate!”

Hanayo’s jaw is slack. She looks between Rin and the door, where their soulmate just left a minute ago. “W-we should go look for her.”

“Yeah, but we don’t even know where to start…”

Luckily, fate knows how to find them.

The speakers in the cafeteria blare to life, the speakers giving off static before being replaced by the voice of the headmistress. “To Hoshizora Rin and ‘Kayo-chin’, please report to my office immediately.”

…

Rin speaks up. “Well, she did say she would report us to the headmistress.”

Hanayo nods. “Guess we shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

* * *

“What did I tell you not to do on the first day of school?”

“Cause a scene,” Maki grumbles.

“And what did you do?” The headmistress asks.

“In  _ my _ defense, I didn’t expect to be dragged by a stranger I didn’t know!”

“You haven’t answered my question.” Shaking her head, Nishikino Aya let out a long, tired sigh. “And is there a reason you reported these two to me instead of confronting them yourself?”

At that, Maki becomes visibly uncomfortable, directing her gaze at the floor. “...I couldn’t just go back to the cafeteria after causing a scene.”

“Sure you could. There’s a difference between not being able to and not wanting to.” Aya couldn’t believe her ears. Maybe it  _ was  _ for the best that Eriko decided Maki should go to Otonokizaka instead of UTX.

A knock is heard, and Aya gives Maki a look. “Once this is done, make sure you apologize for interrupting their lunch, understood?” Maki nods slightly, and Aya raises her voice at the door. “Come in.”

Two first-years walk into the office, and the first thing Aya notices is their interlinked arms. Maki mentioned that she can now see both yellow and green, so there’s a good chance that these two are soulmates that have known each other for a while. 

As interesting as it is to observe her youngest daughter’s love life, she has more important matters to attend to. “Maki,” she starts, drawing attention to the girl.

“I’m sorry for going off on you...and calling you a brute.” She mumbles. 

Aya sees the brunette nudging the orange-haired girl, who immediately straightens her posture. “I’m also sorry for dragging you off without warning.”

Well, they’re certainly awkward, but her other daughter wasn’t much better when she met her soulmates. Seriously though—Aya isn’t getting paid to deal with teenage love problems.

“Well then, as no harm was done, I don’t think I need to get involved.”  _ I shouldn’t have had to get involved in the first place.  _ Aya thinks, keeping that thought to her own. “Maki, I ask that you abuse my position less in the future. You’re lucky that it’s the first day of school and I’m not too preoccupied. Next time, make sure it’s actually for something important.”

“Got it,” Maki mutters, which is satisfactory for Aya.

“Good, you’re allowed to leave now.” Without another word, the three of them shuffle out of the room, closing the door behind them and leaving the office in silence.

Aya shakes her head, focusing back on her paperwork, although not without one final thought:  _ hopefully those two can be a good influence on Maki _ .

* * *

“N-now, let’s do proper introductions.”

Maki, Hanayo, and Rin are now back in the cafeteria. Maki and Rin are sitting across from each other, with Maki glaring at Rin, while Hanayo sits in the middle.

“I’m Koizumi Hanayo. You’ve already met Rin.”

“‘Met’ is a stretch,” Maki says. It appears she’s less forgiving of the incident than she first appeared. “Anyway, Nishikino Maki, at your service… I’ll be in your care from now on, I guess.”

“Same here!” Rin replies cheerfully. “Alright, now it’s time to eat! I’m super hungry!”

Hanayo watches Rin dig into the ramen she bought, while Maki pulls out her lunch box. She sighs in relief; maybe they can have a nice, quiet lunch-

“Is that fish?” Rin points to something in Maki’s lunchbox.

“Yeah? Is there something wrong with it?” Maki asks. Rin scrunches up her nose.

“It’s kinda gross.”

Well, looks like a quiet lunch is out of the question.

“ _ Gross? _ ” Maki glares at her. “Fish is a perfectly good protein source! It’s healthy, and it makes you smarter.”

“Pfft, I don’t need that!” Rin puts her hands on her ramen bowl, bringing it up to her face and taking a massive gulp of broth. After a few seconds, she puts it back down on the table with a loud sigh. “I know my strengths and weaknesses, and I play to my strengths instead of focusing on my weaknesses!”

“You probably thought you just said something smart, but you basically called yourself an idiot, you know.”

Hanayo puts her face into her palms, realizing that this is her life now. At least it won’t be boring.


End file.
